A Keswick man has been raising the spirit of neighbours and money for the NHS during lockdown by dressing up as well-known rock stars and singing or miming their songs from his lofty stage – the roof of his shed – each evening during the coronavirus lockdown.
Eddie Burrows, who lives on Windebrowe Avenue, has been entertaining up to 50 of his neighbours and those living nearby – all carefully observing social distancing – over the last two weeks and has already raised more than £270 for the NHS via his Freddie Eddie’s fundraiser for NHS Charities Together.
Known as “Freddie Eddie” – due to his love of singing Freddie Mercury songs – Eddie was inspired by the 99-year-old Captain Tom Moore, who had pledged to raise £1,000 for the NHS Charities Together by walking 100 lengths of his 25-metre back garden before he turned 100 on 30th April. He has now raised nearly £30 million through his Captain Tom Moore’s 100th Birthday Walk for the NHS.
Eddie, who works as a scaffolder, said: “It all started when I mimed a song dressed as Freddie Mercury in our hot tub to cheer up my wife who is at high risk (due to the Covid-19 virus) and is staying at home. I wanted to take her mind of it. It was her suggestion that I take to the roof to entertain the neighbours as well. My aim is to carry on doing this every night, even in wind and rain, putting a smile on people’s faces.”
You can watch Eddie’s videos and donate to Freddie Eddie’s fundraiser for NHS Charities Together on Facebook.